The Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday unveiled a committee that will organise a befitting official defection ceremony for Mr Dotun Babayemi and Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, alongside their supporters.
Ogunbiyi had contested and lost the 2018 governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party to Senator Ademola Adeleke, who was defeated at the poll by the APC candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola.
In the race for the 2022 governorship ticket of the PDP, Ogunbiyi was among the contenders for the PDP ticket, before he announced his withdrawal, accusing the National Working Committee of the party of bias.
He later contested the poll on the platform of the Accord Party.
But Babayemi and his supporters held a parallel governorship primary, where he emerged PDP factional candidate.
The Supreme Court later held that the incumbent governor, Adeleke was the validly elected candidate of the PDP at the poll, laying to rest the disagreement on the matter.
While Ogunbiyi had since July 2023 defected to APC, Babayemi has not formally announced his defection from the PDP.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Babayemi Campaign Organisation, Mr Kayode Oladeji, when contacted by our correspondent to confirm his principal’s defection simply said, “It is an evolving development.”
However, a statement signed by Osun APC chairman, Mr Tajudeen Lawal, obtained in Osogbo named, Mr Debo Badru, as the chairman of the 12-member defection committee, while Mr Bello Atanda, the State Organising Secretary of the party would serve as the secretary.
The statement partly read, “Osun APC has named a powerful committee that will organise a befitting official defection of Omo Oba Dotun Babayemi and Dr Akin Ogunbiyi with the thousands of their supporters and followers across the state into the APC in the state.
“A season and consummate APC chieftain, Alhaji Mayegun Debo Badru (08033306814) is the chairman of the 12-member defection committee while Hon Bello Atanda (08033273508), the State Organising Secretary of the party, will serve as the secretary of the committee.
“Other members of the defection committee are Mr Sunday Akere, Mr Delani Ajanaku, Mr Femi Kujembola, Lord Monyeh and Mr Richard Tinubu.
“Also on the committee are Mr Damola Abdulsalam, Alhaja Fauziat Olaniyan, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, Mr Rasheed Adeniji, Sakirat Adeoye and Mr Olubisi Oladosu.
The statement noted that the committee has the latitude to fashion out the modality for the hitch-free defection exercise at a convenient date but not later than next week.